Towns of the area

Santa Maria a Monte

The
municipal territory extends for 38,29 square kilometres in the Valdarno
di Sotto, near to the Cerbaie hills. Comprising hilly and flat land. Lordly
land, then Seat of Podesta office and Leopoldina community, in
1868 it was enlarged with the aggregation of the entire territory of the
suppressed municipality of Montecalvoli.

Cited from the X century as “place” under the Lordship
of the Lucca Bishops, who exercised their political power and Ecclesiastic
jurisdiction on them, Santa Maria was only fortified in the XI century,
becoming successively a bastion fort in the war conducted by Lucca against
Firenze. Even though the rights of the Bishops were confirmed by Imperial
certificate by Enrico VI in 1194, and Ottone IV in 1209, a document from
1258 demonstrated that the authorityover the territory was
however confirmed with the municipality of Lucca. In 1261, however
the reduced Ghibellino army who had fought at Montaperti took it away
from the jurisdiction of the Lucchesi Guelfi and, together with all the
Valdarno Inferiore lands Santa Maria a Monte was sworn to the Pisa
Ghibellinogovernment, which kept it until 1327 the date
in which the castle passed to Firenze. Rebelling in 1343, Santa Maria
remained independent until 1348 when it made an act of submission to the
Firenze republic. Until 1774, the year of the Leopoldina reforms, it
was administrated by a Fiorentino Podesta. During the second world
war repeated bombardments provoked numerous victims and grave damage.

Places to visit:S. Giovanni Evangelista, ancient collegiate which has as bell
tower of the towers from the fortified establishment. The interior
of the church preserves frescoes by Aldermollo and other works of
art from diverse artists.